Why are Mountain Bikes So Expensive?
Mountain bike riding is a sport that involves riding bikes off-road, and it requires unique gear-driven bicycles called Mountain Bikes. Recently, the sport is coming back to popularity. But it isn’t a cheap one. Does the question arise as that why mountain bikes are So Expensive?
Nowadays, if you want these bikes, it will cost you a brutal hit on your wallet. You can think it is crazy but believe us, there are mountain bikes in the more expensive market than second-hand cars. One may think, how did these bikes become costly? Mountain bikes are so expensive because of high-quality material, components, and technology; they can cost more than $1000. For you to have a safe ride, proper parts are needed.
The Price of the Components:
Mountain Bikes can cost you a pretty penny; not every one of them is of 5-digit range. You can get a mountain bike for under 800 dollars or lower. But generally, cheaper mountain bikes are less dependable. And, thanks to its responsiveness, you can do so easily.
It will be a great deal of violence. Call for premium components, or else you’ll find yourself buying a new one. Now you don’t need an all-carbon mountain bike.
For the casual rider, an aluminum hardtail starts at about $800. It becomes more costly as the components become more advanced. Pros and extreme mountain bikers will go to any length to obtain the best and lightest parts, but this comes at a cost.
A Good Frame:
This part is usually the most costly, and in itself, is carbon fiber that can have the value at about three thousand dollars. Carbon fiber is also ideal for small-scale use, such as metal tubing on a bicycle. But carbon is less eco-friendly.
One must know that carbon fiber is not your only option when looking for a framework. Aluminum is still the best option for most riders and much less expensive. Carbon fiber composite frames are available at a cost-effective price.
Its rigidity must attribute to the epoxy resin, a viscous material where the carbon fiber suspends. Only the carbon fiber is fragile and sensitive to rupture. With the properties of both materials combined, they deliver the power of your pedal at speed.
Light height is a feature that some mountain bikers will pay extra. Lightweight carbon fiber bikes enable riders to climb steep terrain much faster and more efficiently. The other metal frames, such as steel, titanium, and aluminum, don’t compare to their lightness and make all the difference. The sophisticated tailor-made design and perfect geometry will even make them more costly than their mid-range counterparts.
Wheels:
A mountain bike wheel is a very complex system, every component being significant in its own right. A good set of wheels will balance efficiency with tolerance, thanks to modern technology that controls these factors.
An upgraded wheel-set can elevate your mountain biking game, but an experienced rider will notice this more than a casual rider. Some would even say that if there is something on which you should go crazy, it should be on the wheels. Carbon wheels will cost upwards of $2,000 each.
- They are incredibly rigid yet staying lightweight.
- As a repercussion, they have the potential to make even the most critical decisions.
- There is a tire for all kinds of terrain and trails; the Right tires help handle your bike’s handling.
- For a fast-track ride, you need an excellent rubber handle on the road.
That’s going to give you a higher thread per inch. High Threads per Inch (TPI) means less weight, absorbing road pressure much better, and decreasing the rolling resistance. And we know that lightweight equals too expensive when it comes to mountain bikes.
Tires:
Mountain bike tires can be expensive, but there is a significant difference between tubeless tires and regular tubes. While riding tubeless reduces the likelihood of a flat tire, it is also much more expensive. Even so, if you rip a side wall, a tubeless tire will fail you.
Handlebars:
Handlebars come in various materials, and each has its benefits and drawbacks. Not everyone cares about handlebars because the moving parts are not around. Moving parts usually suffer from more friction damage.
You can choose carbon fiber material if you’re cautious.
Titanium can be higher in price, but it is heavier. They are thus capable of offering a smoother experience besides vibrations and impact.
Carbon fiber handlebars can give the cyclist a much more children’s feeling, and the hardest of the types are aluminum. Besides, carbon bars have a longer lifespan than the other two. They are up to 40 percent lighter and more expensive at the same time. However, the sooner you wreck your wheels.
Suspension:
The suspension characterizes a mountain bike, as many bike riders say.
The fork or shocks exist at the front and have a wide variety of products, services, and options. Essentially, you need to know a certain kind of frame for your mountain bike, and perhaps even the size of the front wheel and the axle. High-quality mountain bikes have adjustable forked settings to increase riding quality and stability. It’s no surprise that more than $1,000 could be shell to have a lightweight, high-tech suspension.
Brakes:
- You rely on your brakes heavily for safety as a mountain biker.
- Although the braking can be the least glamorous ability, it can help control any trail. On a mountain bike, there are three types of brakes. Rim brakes, coaster brakes, and disc brakes are also there.
- Rim brakes like the V-brakes, cantilever brakes and caliper brakes are less favored because during humid weather, they do not have enough braking power.
- On the other hand, Coaster brakes have been used for first-generation mountain bikes and make some mountain bikes a remarkable comeback.
Disc brakes were long in use before they even were introduced in the cycling world. And since then, almost every cyclist has favored a hydraulic disc brake. These brakes have transformed mountain bikes with superior braking capability. These hydraulic disc brakes can be operated much faster at the same time and enable you also to stop harder.
Hydraulic brakes function on multiplicating the forces transmitted by hydraulic fluid from one position to the other. When a piston is driving, the liquid is considerably smaller than the one working on the brake pads.
As a result, force is exponentially increasing, and you can stop effectively.
FINAL VERDICT:
We can conclude that it seems only reasonable for competitive mountain bikers to buy an expensive mountain bike, not so much for recreational bikers. It is not for value; it can improve performance for technology.
Although a mountain bike for $800 by default is not cheap, it certainly is not compared to a mountain bike for $8000. Even so, every motorcycle always wants to do its work safely and delightfully, and you will need to put some better money, perhaps more than often. A mountain bike will lose lots of value in the first year when buying a used mountain bike.
